The Sentinals were a Southern California surf band that was picked up by Del-Fi records. Consisting of future Turtles member Johnny Barbata (drums), Ben Trout (bass), Tommy Nunes (lead guitar), Harry Sackrider (rhythm guitar), Bobby Holmquist (sax), and Kenny Hinkle (vocals) the band was formed in 1962. Unlike their Del-Fi counterparts (the Lively Ones, Dave Myers & the Surftones, Impacts), the Sentinals breathed a much deeper R&B into their heavy sound. The group received some success on the short-lived label and released a local charting single here and there.

 

Predictably, Big Surf takes off with the song of the same name, a heavy mid-tempo number with the occasional spoken-word 'big surf!' announcement. Pure surf classic. 'Exotic' takes its cues from Dick Dale's 'Miserlou,' while the band's excellent 1962 single "Latin'ia" is a welcome addition. Both 'Tuff Soul' and 'Revellion' feature a heavy rhythm and blues accompaniment. An audible "ah-one, ah-two, ah-one-two-three..." opens up the rockling  "Pismo Beach". A forgettable vocal number of the Isley Brothers' 'Shout' is followed by the surfier "Tor-Chula", an arcane Latin-inspired composition. 'Sunset Beach' is a nice break from the hard-hitting rockers. Possibly the album's most embarrassing moment is a hopelessly awful vocal version of the Beach Boys' hit, 'Surfin''. Returning to their strength, instrumental rockers 'Intixico,' which sounds a great deal like 'Church Key,' again features the bulky Sentinals sound. 'Latin Soul' revisits the band's Latin roots while the enjoyable 'Hide Away' skips along at a bouncy pace. The album's 14th (?!) track, 'Surfin' Tragedy,'  is another vocal mishap better suited for the cutting room floor. 

​

The Sentinals were not the most polished surf band, but they did embody the youthful exuberance of the genre. Big Surf's heavy, pounding rhythms are exciting and launch the Sentinals' first album above many others in the canon.